Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is itching to get back into the cage for the first time in more than a year, and he’s got a specific plan: “Demolition Man” wants to “destroy” Antonio Silva (17-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) before chasing down both Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.

“Everybody is dangerous at this level,” Overeem told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “You should not underestimate anybody. That being said, I just need to destroy Antonio in the first or second round and then move on to the next guy.”

Overeem, of course, is returning from a year away from the sport after failing a Nevada State Athletic Commission-issued drug screen and failing to receive licensure for a planned UFC 146 bout with then-champion Dos Santos. As a result, he hasn’t competed since a December 2011 destruction of Brock Lesnar, but he insists his layoff has actually proved beneficial.

“It wasn’t a wasted year,” Overeem said. “I’m an optimist, so I always make the best of the situation. That being said, I’ve been hitting the gym like I had a fight. I improved my game. I moved to Miami. So in that sense, it was not a loss because everything just went on.

“After moving to Miami, I actually had some time off to get to know the city, who’s who in town, and if you have fight after fight lined up after each other, you can’t do that. So I’m happy that it went the way it went, and I had my time to explore the city. When that was done, I went into fight camp, and now it’s time to fight.”

The planned matchup with Dos Santos was intriguing not only from a style perspective but also because the Brazilian had a few choice words for Overeem, insinuating his physique was developed in a laboratory.

In the time since then, Dos Santos relinquished his belt to Velasquez, meaning Overeem’s title shot, if earned, would come against the new champion rather than the man that had badmouthed him.

Overeem said he’s expecting to fight them both.

“Cain proves to be an entirely different challenge than Dos Santos,” Overeem said. “That being said, for me, it’s fine. I already hold three belts. I’m a three-time world champion. I have the attitude of fighting anybody, anywhere. For me it doesn’t matter if it’s Dos Santos or Cain.

“I see myself fighting Dos Santos at a later stage. I would have preferred to fight him for the title, but his decisions have made this reality.”

First, of course, is Silva. Bookmakers consider Overeem as much as a 4-to-1 favorite, implying he’s being given an 80 percent chance of winning. Most pundits and fans seem to be of the same belief, and Saturday’s result seems almost a formality.

If that’s true, and if Overeem can deliver the type of performance that has earned him the moniker “Demolition Man,” then Velasquez and the UFC title should be next in line.

Overeem isn’t willing to discuss those plans just yet. Instead, he’s anxious to re-establish himself in the UFC’s heavyweight division.

“It’s 2013, and the world did not come to an end,” Overeem said. “This fight is a comeback for me, and it’s a new beginning.

“I appreciate the UFC for being very supportive during my time off. What happens next isn’t up to me. I just have to get the win.”

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is probably the greatest female fighter on the planet, which is a tremendous feat. So why are we seemingly so obsessed with arguing about whether she could beat up men?